7 January 2023 Southern Camping Day 2

Hersheypark Campground

Chocolate Avenue

Hershey, PA

Marc-  We were early risers due to the multiple trains that pass near the campground (three sets of tracks).  We went out to the Cocoa Diner for breakfast.   The next few hours were spent at Hershey's Chocolate World and the Hershey Museum.  Both were excellent venues and we came back with great chocolate and a chocolate education. 

This house is made entirely of chocolate.

We also ventured out to nearby Amish country and saw some horse drawn carriages and beautiful farms.  Clothes are still put out on the clothesline to dry out here.  We stopped to see some shops and a farmer's market.  

We encountered several of these carriages.

Notice how the horse is flying along.

6 January 2023, Southern Camping Day 1

 Hersheypark Campground

Chocolate Avenue

Hershey, PA

Marc-  We left Vergennes at 07:30 this morning and arrived at 15:30 at Hershey.  The campground is fine.  The only other residents here are long term campers in fifth wheel trailers all insulated out for the winter months.  That being said there appeared to be two occupied cabins.  

Travel today was uneventful with mostly light rain and temperatures in the low 40's.  We did have several glimpses of the sun.  Unfortunately the price of Diesel fuel is much higher in PA than in VT.  I last filled up at $ 4.74 per gallon in Middlebury and tonight paid $ 5.45 per gallon in Hershey.  Let's hope that this is not a trend going South.  The trailer is warm and cozy with central heating.  Unfortunately the campground water is turned off.  We washed up with seltzer water.

Lake Champlain Hikes

  29 December 2022

Commodore Drive, Vergennes, Vermont

-We have been doing morning hikes over at Button Bay State Park and the adjoining Basin Harbor Resort this Fall and early Winter.  The 29th was like a Spring day with 50 + degree temperature and sunshine.  There were quite a few people out and about the trails.  We stopped over at the Park Nature Center and found the above map that revealed the location of gastropod fossil beds.  The 4 million year old fossils were easy to find with the map near the lakeshore.

Gastropods were shellfish that lived here when Lake Champlain was a tropical sea.

Interesting ice formations at Button Point.

A red cedar stump cut from a fallen tree during a recent wind storm.

________________________________________________________

We will be leaving for our snowbird migration to Florida on January 6 th via truck and camper and will keep the blog going.

 

Winter on Lake Champlain

 19 November 2022

Commodore Drive, Vergennes, Vermont

Marc-  Sue and I usually try to start the day off with a good walk of several miles.  Today we headed off to Button Bay State Park nearby that has become our regular stop.  On route we saw some snow covered Adirondack mountains and sheep in a snowy field enjoying the weather.  

The highlight of the hike was visiting Basin Harbor through some of the connecting trails with Button Bay State Park.  We were surprised to find the Lake Champlain flagship:  the Lois McClure securely docked in Basin Harbor for the winter.

Not all of the boats leave the lake for the winter months.

The Lois McClure (and her dinghy) is the only boat in the basin.

Winter Projects

 16 November 2022

Point Bay Marina, Charlotte, VT 

Marc-  Snow arrived this morning to Vergennes and it complicates our boat projects.  Fortunately we have been busy in the last few warm days of Fall.  I built a new centerboard and ordered a new pivot pin.  From the photos you can see the old board was broken in half and the pin was twisted.  I managed to cut out the steel core from the old board and install it in the new board.  The old board broke off just below the steel core ( a 1/2 inch x 6 inch x 36 inch carbon steel plate with a stainless steel insert for the pivot pin).  The new pin went in smoothly and fit tightly in the new board and snugly in the bearings.  We will have to wait for warmer weather to glass over the centerboard pin bronze access plate. 

New Centerboard.

Old centerboard pivot pin.

Hopefully there will be some more warm days (anything above 50 would be great) to work on a few interior plumbing issues.  The boat does have interior heating to help.  

October: time to head South or to be hauled out.

  25 October 2022

Point Bay Marina, Charlotte, VT

Fall has arrived here in Vermont and in the Lake Champlain Valley. The cooler temperatures and the shorter daylight hours have arrived along with the great foliage.  

Town Farm Bay from Mt. Philo

The colors here never fail.

The snow geese are headed South.

Sue and I have been rowing out of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

We have decided to travel South with our camper come January.  Lucy III has been hauled for the Winter.  There are Winter projects, as always.  One of them is rebuilding the centerboard which was damaged during the hauling process.

The board missing half its length.

September sailing days

 17 September 2022

Point Bay Marina Moorings, Charlotte, VT

Camel's Hump in the distance.

Marc-  The boats are beginning to be hauled out for winter storage yet some of the days have been warm and sunny with reliable wind.  Saturday proved to be a great day to get out before Steph leaves for NYC.  The wind was 10- 15 knots out of the South and the warm sun was great as we sailed about Town Farm Bay and over to Kingsland Bay before returning to our mooring.  

We did discover from fellow boaters that several days ago a boat burned in the mooring field and that all aboard were rescued.  It appears that the boat is a total loss.

Lucy III is in the center of this photo and suffered no harm.